Pavement expansion joints .......expanding!

Hi all. I have some sidewalks around the house that seem to be slowly moving away from each other. The expansion joints have opened to the point that I need to fill the gaps with something to keep water from washing away the base(further washing away). The gaps range from
1 1/2" to 3". I've read online about different gap filling materials, but none seem like the right fix. I've considered using asphalt repair mix compacted with a 2x4 into the joints. Any suggestions are appreciated. Here are the pics:

Pavement expansion joints .......expanding!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ron6519

Have you had excessive rain or drought there?
Is the soil moisture sensitive as in a clay based soil?

We've had periods of heavy rain and then periods of dryness. I have noticed cracks in the ground during dry periods. Could be the clay reacting to dryer than normal weather. There are gaps opening around the perimeter of the pavement.

Pavement expansion joints .......expanding!

Quote:

Originally Posted by RetiredSoldier

We've had periods of heavy rain and then periods of dryness. I have noticed cracks in the ground during dry periods. Could be the clay reacting to dryer than normal weather. There are gaps opening around the perimeter of the pavement.

The pictures look like patio type blocks. Can they be repositioned? If they can, I would do that and then keep the soil at a consistant moisture level so they don't shift as much. If the soil is as active as you say, there aren't too many products that will stay in place without stabilizing the soil.

Pavement expansion joints .......expanding!

Ron, Yes. A few of the peices are blocks installed after the original pavement was done. But most of the pavement is poured slab.
When I lived in Oklahoma, we were advised to water our foundations due to ground movement. Is that the type of thing you are talking about? Should I water the pavement to keep the ground from cracking and moving the slabs?

Pavement expansion joints .......expanding!

Quote:

Originally Posted by RetiredSoldier

Ron, Yes. A few of the peices are blocks installed after the original pavement was done. But most of the pavement is poured slab.
When I lived in Oklahoma, we were advised to water our foundations due to ground movement. Is that the type of thing you are talking about? Should I water the pavement to keep the ground from cracking and moving the slabs?

Yes, don't let it get too dry. You can't really keep it from getting too wet, but heavy clay soil by nature doesn't absorb water as fast as sandy or loam soil.
You can look into talking to a soil engineer if the issue becomes a real pain.